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Patty Schnyder assured Switzerland of at least one
representative in the semi-finals of the Swisscom
Challenge when she made the most of noisy home support to
beat Daniela Hantuchova 6-7 6-3 7-6 Friday.
In
a long and dramatic contest that lasted for two hours and
42 minutes, Schnyder recovered from losing the first set
to outlast and ultimately out-power her seventh-seeded
teenage opponent with some excellent and varied tennis.
By
the end, the willowy Hantuchova, just 19 and enjoying her
breakthrough season on the WTA Tour, was clearly tired and
making many unforced errors under the lights on the
carpeted floor of the Schluefweg Arena.
Schnyder, urged on by the rhythmic clapping of the
spectators inside the converted ice rink, proved to be too
strong and her wristy left-arm game, giving the ball
plenty of spin, stretched the youngster to her limits.
The
Swiss goes on to meet the experienced Spanish player
Conchita Martinez, who beat top seeded Jennifer Capriati
in the second round and overcame another American,
qualifier Alexandra Stevenson, in the opening
quarter-final.
Defending champion and second seed Lindsay Davenport of
the United States earlier clinched her place in the other
semi-final with a surprisingly easy 6-3 7-6 victory over
Belgian sixth seed Kim Clijsters
In
the last four she will meet another Belgian, fourth seed
Justine Henin, or Switzerland's other hope, wildcard entry
Marie-Gaiane Mikaelian, who were playing later Friday.
FORLORN FIGURE
Ranked 19th in the world to Hantuchova's ninth, Schnyder
made full use of her greater experience and mental
strength as the match wore on, leaving the young Slovakian
looking a forlorn figure by the end.
"I
didn't play my best and I made too many mistakes," said
Hantuchova. "I had my chances and I went ahead, but I did
not finish properly. When it came to the crunch time in
the second set, she played well and I knew it would be
tough in the third.
"It
was. But the crowd did not bother me too much, not really.
I think I lost it more in the second set. I knew they
would support her. They are her home crowd so you had to
expect it."
Hantuchova, winner of the Indian Wells tournament earlier
this year and a quarter-finalist at Wimbledon, went a
break behind in the fifth game of the first set, but
responded by breaking back in the 10th and then forced a
tiebreak.
In
the tiebreak, she came back from 3-1 down to lead 6-5 and
then take the first set with one of her six aces on the
night.
The
Slovakian broke again in the opening game of the second
set and went 2-0 ahead before being broken back by
Schnyder in the sixth. From then on, the momentum of the
crowd carried the Swiss who survived a break point in the
seventh and then broke again for 5-3.
She
clinched the set when Hantuchova netted a deep service
return and broke to lead 2-1 in the third. The Slovakian
broke back, but Schnyder, winner of seven WTA titles so
far in her career, broke her again to lead 3-2 as they
raised the tempo and tension.
When Hantuchova fought back with a break in the eighth to
level at 4-4, it seemed she had found fresh impetus and
energy. She held her serve to go 5-4 ahead, but could not
hang on when the local heroine came back stronger still to
earn the decisive tiebreak with a love-game on her own
service making it 6-6.
A
final long service return from Hantuchova, who fought
gamely, decided that at 7-5 to send Schnyder into the last
four.
"It
was an incredible feeling for me," Schnyder said. "All
week, with this crowd, there has been a lot of emotion. I
had my chances and I took them."
Asked if she now fancied her chances of qualifying to take
part in the season-ending showpiece Championships in Los
Angeles, Schnyder said: "I haven't thought of it. I've
been concentrating on my games here. It would be a
surprise if I did go to the Championships, but I like
surprises."
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